Murky Divers Review Summary

Addictive cooperative fun with great monster designs is undermined by a repetitive loop, limited content, and frequent crashes.

Game is cool, addictive, and very fun: Players find the game cool, addictive, and very fun, with many describing it as a really great and amazing game overall.

Scary monsters with great designs: Monsters are scary with great designs, unique mechanics, and different patterns, making encounters thrilling and challenging.

Significant upgrade from Lethal Company: Players consistently highlight that this game is a significant upgrade from Lethal Company, offering new mechanics, scarier and more immersive gameplay, and higher overall quality.

Submarine piloting is fun and cooperative: Submarine piloting is described as fun, cooperative, and engaging, with fluid controls that force teamwork and are especially enjoyable with multiple players.

Flexible difficulty settings: Flexible difficulty settings allow players to customize the challenge, making the game more enjoyable and adjustable to their preference.

Repetitive gameplay loop: The gameplay loop becomes repetitive and tedious, especially in later stages, with high repetition despite procedural generation.

Lack of content and variety: There is a lack of content, with few things to do, limited enemy variety, and only one map, hurting replayability.

Low online player count: Low player count and a dead player base make it hard to find public matches, severely impacting multiplayer experience.

Boring when playing alone: Playing alone is boring and lonely, with the game becoming dull quickly and fear making solo play difficult.

Imprecise and clunky controls: Controls are widely criticized as imprecise, clunky, and frustrating, making gameplay feel like a struggle rather than fun.

Lethal Company underwater clone: The game is frequently compared to Lethal Company, REPO, and Subnautica, suggesting it combines the cooperative horror extraction gameplay of Lethal Company with an underwater setting and exploration elements similar to Subnautica.

Submarine piloting core mechanic: Submarine piloting is a core mechanic, involving driving, navigation with radar and sonar, and serving as a mobile base. The submarine is central to the gameplay experience.

Cooperative horror survival game: The game is a cooperative horror survival game that supports multiplayer (up to 8 players) and can be played solo or with friends. It emphasizes co-op gameplay.

Underwater exploration with thalassophobia: The game is set in an underwater environment with deep ocean exploration, designed to evoke thalassophobia. Players explore dark depths and progress to deeper dives.

Teamwork required for submarine: Submarine navigation requires teamwork and coordination among players, with role-based cooperation on the submarine. Effective communication is essential.

Frequent crashes and instability: Multiple reports of crashes, including PC crashes, occasional crashes, and frequent crashes during sessions, especially for the host, indicating stability issues.

Major stuttering issues: Stuttering is a major issue, occurring nonstop, even on low graphics settings and after leaving the submarine, affecting overall playability.

DX12 mode instability: DX12 mode causes instability including hard locks, black screens, and blue screen errors, making it unreliable.

Lag on high-end PCs: The game lags a lot even on good PCs, suggesting poor optimization for high-end hardware.

Unpredictable physics: The physics in the game are unpredictable, leading to unexpected and often frustrating outcomes.

Best played with friends: The game is strongly recommended for groups of friends, especially with 3-4 players. Solo play is not advised, and playing with friends enhances the chaotic fun and coordination.

Highly recommended overall: Many reviewers give strong positive recommendations, calling it a hidden gem, a treasure, and a steal at its price. It is highly recommended overall.

Appeals to co-op horror fans: Fans of Lethal Company, R.E.P.O., Subnautica, and similar co-op horror games will enjoy this title. It offers a fresh atmosphere and twist on the genre, though some suggest playing those alternatives instead.

Unique multiplayer horror twist: The game is a good addition to a multiplayer horror library, offering a twist on the genre with co-op survival, immersive horror, and methodical exploration. It mixes horror and humor.

Hopeful for future updates: Reviewers are hopeful for future updates with more maps, mobs, and polish. The game has potential to be great with full release and continued development.

Community fair range: $5.99 - $8.99.

Game completion: 20.0h.

Session length: 20.0h.

Murky Divers starts with a tedious submarine piloting phase and slow early progression, but becomes addictive and chaotic fun once players reach expedition sites and engage in the risk-reward loop, especially with friends.

Friction: tedious submarine navigation sequence; slow early progression with modest rewards and frequent equipment failures; frequent crashes and bugs; repetitive gameplay loop; tutorial issues (sequence-breaking, unclear instructions); lack of quality-of-life features (no map, no easy highlighting of items).

Unlock drivers: playing with friends (co-op); overcoming the navigation learning curve; acquiring better equipment through upgrades; reaching the first few expedition sites.

Co-op Crew Captain: Plays exclusively with a group, assigning roles (sonar, steering, signal identification) and communicating constantly to navigate, extract loot, and avoid monsters. Embraces chaotic, high-energy sessions. Motivation: Social fun and teamwork; the shared thrill of coordinating under pressure. Stance: buy.

Solo Survivor (Reluctant): Attempts to play alone but finds the game overly punishing, lacking instructions, and requiring teamwork that isn't available. Often gives up or refunds. Motivation: Curiosity about the horror/extraction genre, but quickly frustrated by the forced co-op design. Stance: no buy.

Extraction Grinder: Focuses on efficient loot extraction, upgrading gear, and managing risk-reward decisions. Tolerates grind but criticizes balance issues like monster spawn rates and police mechanics. Motivation: Progression through extraction loops and gear upgrades; enjoys the tension of high-stakes looting. Stance: sale.

Secret duck punching mechanic: Players have discovered a secret involving punching rubber ducks at a statue located in a question mark area. This suggests an interactive easter egg or hidden mechanic that rewards exploration.